# Help me grill the perfect steak.



## Darrell (Aug 12, 2007)

I can grill chicken, pork, veggies, roast, but I cannot grill a steak very consistantly. Sometimes they grill up nice and sometimes they're tough as shit. Someone please help me with instructions or info on grilling the perfect steak (med rare). Any info on time, temp, etc is appreciated. Thanks!


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## JCK (Nov 9, 2006)

gotta get your grill as hot as you can Darrell. I prefer about 500 degrees or hotter. For an 1.5 inch thick steak, sear about 2 and half minutes on each side. That does good for me. It's on the rarer side of Medium rare.

I prep my steaks with some butter and black pepper.


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## shaggy (Dec 28, 2006)

get the grill as hot as possible.....then sear them on each side till they release from the grates of the grill. then time them on each side.....mine, when the steaks are about 1 inch thick, i leave them about 3-4 mins on each side over indirect heat...turn off one burner or move the charcoal all to one side of the bbq. then i drop a slab of butter on them and tent them with tin foil (another use for it besides hats) and let them rest for 10 mins or so.

this is the basics of how i do it....play with the time till it is to ur likings


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## Harpo (Oct 11, 2007)

A few tips I use to get the perfect steak:


Never salt the meat before cooking.

Cook the meat from room temperature, not straight out of the fridge otherwise the centre of the steak will most probably be cold when the outside is properly cooked.

Very hot grill, couple of minutes per side at most. Get the extractor fan going as there will be smoke.

The only seasoning you need is cracked black pepper (and a little salt if you want), after it's off the grill. Onions, mushrooms etc should be done in a seperate pan with butter.

Serve on pre-heated plates! My pet hate is hot food served on cold plates, turns everything cold in minutes. Put your plates in the oven for a few mins on its lowest setting before serving up.

And finally... steak that is anything but rare is a waste of steak. :tu


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## SilverFox (Feb 19, 2008)

To start with its all about the cut of meat.

My personal favourite it the Rib Eye, but Porterhouse and TBones are good as well.

Go with at least a AA cut, look for good marbling throughout the meat, that is the fat that runs through the meat, better marbling means better flavour, good moisture, and tender.

Also pre season your steaks at least 2 hours before you cook and let them come to room temperature before tossing them on the grill. I like to use Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Fresh Ground Pepper, and Seasoning salt. (The Rub) its called a rub for a reason mix up the above in equal quantity and rub it into your meat, this ensures good coverage and gets the seasoning into the steak as well. Some would say not to put on the seasoning salt as it dries out the meat, I say bullshit, it will only dry out crappy meat.

Before putting the grate on, spray it with Pam (use the hi temp grill stuff if you can get it). That helps prevent sticking. Steak isn't bad about sticking, but some of the fats and drippings may be hard to clean off if you don't pre-spray.

Use tongs to place the steaks on the grill. Do not use a fork. When you make holes in the meat, the juices run out. This makes the meat dryer and less tasty.

Some grillers like to sear the meat and turn only once. This technique is hard to master, especially if you don't have a searing grill or are using coal, and I don't think it makes for a better tasting grilled steak.

I typically only flip a steak twice, the idea being to cook it evenly to push the juices into the steak, constant flipping is a pain and I don't think it helps. I like to cook lid closed to keep in the flavours of the drippings, also if you are like me a little smoker box with some mesquite in it will do wonders for your steak.

When the coals (or heat setting) are correct, it takes about 15 minutes to cook a steak to medium. This varies from grill to grill, with the heat, and with the outside temperature. Keep a spray bottle with distilled water in it nearby for flair ups, they add a charred taste to your steak and me I don't like that, unless you are looking for a Chicago style steak. Make sure you have a fresh beer prior to starting the steaks as you should stick with them till there done, that way you can monitor temperature and flare ups, its worth the 15 minutes.

Try not to knife check too early, or the juices do leak out. Once you've cooked a few steaks, you'll probably be able to eyeball them and tell when they are cooked to the desired level of doneness. When you are done with the steak do not leave it on the grill on the top rack or with the heat low, this will overcook your steak and dry it out. I like to take my steaks from grill to serving plate, but not on your plate yet. Let them stand for about three to five minutes to let the juices settle in the meat (makes for a juicier, more flavourful steak in my opinion)

Enjoy, I have been told on many occasions that I grill the best steak people have ever had. I do some mighty fine ribs too if your interested in how to do that :ss


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## TEAK (Sep 26, 2007)

Like the others said get your grill as hot as you possibly can but also make sure the grates are very well cleaned and lubed. The second most important thing is keeping an eye on it. I like to go by touch but that takes some getting used to. A general guide line is if you open you hand and feel the meat of your hand between the thumb and index finger that should be what rare feels like. Touch your thumb and index finger together and that should be what mid rare feels like like and so on. I am just not a very big fan of probe thermometers because it is an escape route for juices. Good luck:ss


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## Don Fernando (Jan 1, 2000)

I actually prefer not to grill a steak. Call me nuts, but I like mine under the broiler in a cast iron steak pan ... some garlic salt on both sides of a KC strip ... flip the meat at 3/4 of the way done .. :dr :dr :dr


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## TEAK (Sep 26, 2007)

Ur not crazy at all dude! Every so often I like to get a steak rub it with a little oil and put just a lill bit of kosher salt and coarse ground pepper on each side. Get a cast iron skillet and get it as hot as you can and thrown your steak in and do not touch it for two minuets, flip and repete. This will leave a very nice crust on each side and should leave the steak about med rare:tu


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## RevZeek (Dec 17, 2007)

The most important things have already been said! However, to reiterate: Sear, indirect heat afterward, rest. For me those are the big three for an old fashioned seared steak.

However...if you want to do a marinated steak. Marinate that bad boy and grill over some of the lowest heat you can get (on a gas grill) or push the coals to one side on the charcoal and grill s-l-o-w-l-y until done. This will give you more of a prime rib type texture than the other. Either way, you'll want to smack your mama!


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## Darrell (Aug 12, 2007)

Thanks for all the great info. Now, how would I grill up a London Broil? I know it will need more than a few mins on each side.


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## EvanS (Dec 29, 2006)

All good advice above Darre*LL*

Your grill surface also comes into question. The stainless birdcage type grate will not do as well as heavy cast iron or thick stainless grates.

Meat selection
Very hot, clean and pre-lubed.
Room temperature meat....always
Sear (personally I just extend the sear and do not remove meat from direct heat...shorter time on grill)
Salt after cooking
Let rest a few minutes before serving

Those are very much the raw basics. Now while you are getting these procedures down don't be shy about sprinkling a little Adolf's UNseasoned meat tenderizer a couple hours before cooking. I don't personally use this anymore but it will very well help you even out your results (as far as tenderness goes) while you get comfotable with the rest.

Char on Bro :tu


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## bobarian (Oct 1, 2007)

For larger steaks or for steaks you will cut(London Broil, Tri-Tip) it is best to use an instant meat thermometer. Follow the recommendations above. High fire, sear both sides, then move to indirect heat until at the correct temperature for the amount of doneness preferred. Medium rare is 125degrees at the thickest part. Take if off the fire immediately and tent with foil for 10-15minutes. One of the most critical issues when cooking a slicing steak is to be sure to cut ACROSS the grain of the meat. On most London Broil's this would be from short side to short side.


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## AD720 (Jan 14, 2008)

Darrell said:


> Thanks for all the great info. Now, how would I grill up a London Broil? I know it will need more than a few mins on each side.


I LOVE grilling London Broil and Flank steak. Most underrated cut of meat and a great value for your money.

I have found with steaks like that, marinating is important. I do a worchester sauce, salt, pepper and onion marinade for as long as I can. The longer the better. Then just grill the damn thing. Medium-High heat. Try not to screw around with it too much, just kind of leave it alone. Flip it once and only once. Trust the meat thermometer.

I usually cut it into strips and serve with asparagus and new potatoes.


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## muziq (Mar 14, 2005)

Only thing I have to add to all the great advice here is a wood packet: get some super-duty grilling foil and fill with your choice of aromatic/smoking wood chips. First, soak the chips in water for 5-10 min, seal the pouch, then poke holes in the pouch with a fork. Place on the fire about 5 minutes before you toss the steaks on. The result is a slight smoke flavor that brings out some richness in the meat's natural flavors. This works especially well when making fajitas with flank steak. :tu


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## cre8v1 (Dec 5, 2006)

muziq said:


> Only thing I have to add to all the great advice here is a wood packet: get some super-duty grilling foil and fill with your choice of aromatic/smoking wood chips. First, soak the chips in water for 5-10 min, seal the pouch, then poke holes in the pouch with a fork. Place on the fire about 5 minutes before you toss the steaks on. The result is a slight smoke flavor that brings out some richness in the meat's natural flavors. This works especially well when making fajitas with flank steak. :tu


:tpd: I really like doing this as well. I cooked some boston butts on the grill and used that technique and the edges of the meat had a nice smoke ring and a nice smoky taste.


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## Mark C (Sep 19, 2007)

I think it was only mentioned once...

Get a meat thermometer. I don't know how I ever cooked without one. Some 'purists' will argue that you're poking a hole in the meat and letting some juices escape, but monitoring the internal temperature is definitely the easiest way to build consistency. 

Other things often overlooked are to start with room temp meat, and let the meat rest ~10 min before cutting it. Keep in mind the internal temp still rises while it's resting, so take it off the grill 5-10 degrees before your target 'done-ness'.


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## dgold21 (Jul 7, 2007)

Pretty much what they said:

Super-hot grill, I get mine over 600 before dropping the steak.
Tongs, never fork.
I do about a minute, then rotate it about 45 degrees, another minute, then flip and repeat...you get a nice crosshatch grill pattern.
Pat of butter on the finished product as it rests on a wooden slab immediately after removing from the grill.

One thing extra that I like to do is lightly sprinkle some chili powder (Texas or Southwest style if you have it) along with your other seasonings of choice and brush the steak with a thin layer of olive oil before grilling.

Oh, and DON'T TRIM THE FAT BEFORE GRILLING. Sorry, pet peeve of mine.


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## hoax (Aug 7, 2007)

Pretty much everything has been already said.

I'll just reemphasize that the meat needs to rest after grilling. Preferably with a big pat of salted garlic butter sitting on the top. To often I see my friends pull the steak off the grill and start cutting right away.


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## MikeyC (Nov 27, 2007)

Darrell said:


> Thanks for all the great info. Now, how would I grill up a London Broil? I know it will need more than a few mins on each side.


IDK I guess you could consider London Broil a steak but personally I don't think of it as such. This is a cut of meat which is TOUGH. My grandmother used to refer to it as "gorilla meat."

Here's what I do with London Broil. Soak it in beer for one day. The more flavorless and watery the beer the better. The beer will break down the meat and make it more tender but you don't want to add the beer flavor for this recipe. Take the meat out of the beer, rinse it off well (soaking in cool water for an hour is a good idea), and marinate it for another 24 hours in *Ken's Steak House italian dressing*. I believe this brand is available nationally and has a unique flavor. So, don't substitute if you don't have to. Flip the steak in the marinade after 12 hours. Then grill. Sprinkly some garlic powder on the meat on each side while grilling. I guarantee you the best london broil you've ever had.

There's some good advice on here about cooking steak in general. Cut of meat is of paramount importance and so is cooking to the right temperature/cooking technique. I would also add to that two more things.

*Thickness of cut:*

A thin steak is easier to overcook and tends to add toughness. A thicker steak is easier to cook med. rare and will be more juicy and tender.

*Quality of meat:*

We have a few different "level" of supermarkets around here from bargain type markets to high end/all natural type markets. The meat from the higher end markets is MUCH better than the bargain markets. These markets tend to get more preferable grades of beef and one market that opened a couple of towns over has a dry aging room right next to the meat department.

Also, keep your eye out for a local butcher shop. They're harder and harder to come by these days. At least around here because of the prevelance of supermarkets many butchers have been forced "up market" in order to differentiate from the supermarkets and to survive. So, the few butchers around here are very high end and often charge more than even the most expensive supermarkets. However, the meat they sell is HIGH quality. For valentines day last month, I cooked up 2 sirloin strips and they came out as good as you would get at a high end steak house. Of course, I paid $20/pound for them.


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